The automotive supply chain is stress-tested on a daily basis. From production line constraints to labor shortages, raw material availability, natural disasters and new vehicle and technology launches, the industry’s supply chain is proving its versatility and viability. However, with certain sectors already running at 90 percent utilization (not to mention the constant weekend shifts and overtime), the risk mitigation attention is shifting down into the supply chain.
To address these issues, OESA announces “Managing Capacity and Customer Requirements: The Role of Supply Chain Management,” a half-day conference on Sept. 26, 2012, at MSU Management Education Center in Troy, Mich. The agenda focuses on supplier-to-supplier relations and supply chain management. This conference examines trends and risks in supply chain management and provides information, tools and lessons learned to assist suppliers fortify their supply chain. To provide special insight for OESA regular members, the meeting concludes with a roundtable to discuss items of interest from the suppliers’ unique perspective. This roundtable will provide suggestions and insight into supply chain risk mitigation best practices to benefit OESA member companies up and down the supply chain.
The meeting will address the sub-tier supply management issues related to increasing customer demand, new vehicle and engine launches, and operational issues while the supply chain redoubles its efforts to assure growing customer obligations and expectations on cost competitiveness, quality and delivery.
Jim Gillette, director, supplier analysis, IHS Automotive, will provide insight on the demand side for suppliers.
Gillette will present IHS’ short- and long-term production outlook and relating this demand back to suppliers’ global footprint requirement. He will also set the supply-side stage by discussing the broad range of risks facing suppliers from the increasing cadence of program launches to the heightened complexity of future technology roadmaps.
Bill Diehl, president and CEO, BBK, and a panel of systems integrators including Carrie Van Ess, vice president, procurement, Magna International, and Mary Foster, vice president, supply chain management, Inteva Products, will deliver the supply side perspective.
Diehl will discuss supply chain constraints and strategies suppliers can take to balance operational supply in light of increasing demand. From their positions directing purchasing at major systems integrators, Van Ess and Foster see the vehicle manufacturer demands and support these requirements by managing the supply chain risks associated with financial stability along with capacity, geographical footprint, quality, production and compliance requirements. They will address how customer demands are being translated and executed through the supply chain.
Michael Brady, partner, Warner Norcross & Judd LLP, will join this session to discuss how contract law can be used in a proactive manner to reduce supply chain risk and serve as a legal counsel for the session.
Executives responsible for purchasing, sales and marketing, supply chain management and logistics should plan to attend this dynamic session. OESA members and industry guests may register in the events section of
http://www.oesa.org. For registration assistance, contact Felece Hickman at 248.952.6401 ext. 237 or
fhickman@oesa.org. For program content information, contact Dave Andrea at 248.952.6401 ext. 228 or
dandrea@oesa.org.